The Eurovision 2021 season is hotting up. Over the course of the next few months, we will all fall in and out of love with scores of new national final and Eurovision entries. But that doesn’t mean we forget about the artists from past contests.

Contrary to the commonly perpetuated myth about the song contest killing careers, we’re always thrilled to report that singers and performers associated with both Eurovision itself and the various national selections are thriving.

Here is a selection of just some of the songs and music videos released in the last week or so.

New music from Eurovision artists: 2021 | Week 6

Tina Karol – “Скандал”

Since competing at Eurovision 2006, Tina Karol has grown to become one of Ukraine’s biggest stars. And she proves just why with her new single “Скандал” (Scandal). Karol mixes a catchy pop beat with a dramatic undertone to the production. The accompanying music video features the Ukrainian star being filmed like some sort of test subject. However, she sings that she won’t be forced into doing what any particular person wants her to do: “I am not for your victories / I’m more ice than snow / Not for your victories / I need an escape from you”. Karol’s official Twitter account explained more:

“The main meaning of the song is liberation from the barriers. The singer exists in a moment when getting rid of the pain of the past gives freedom to the future. She becomes feminine in feelings and cold-blooded in her conclusions.”

Cleo – “Kocham”

Eurovision 2014 star Cleo has a question for you: “Did you know that the state of falling in love is very similar to the feeling we experience after eating sweets? It’s the happiness hormones! “KOCHAM” connects these two worlds”. Indeed, the music video for her new single, which translates to “I Love”, is full of sweets and candy, and is generally a pink fantasy dream. This goes alongside the sugary pop sound of the track. Cleo brought in a number of well-known Polish social media stars for the video – this includes Junior Eurovision 2018 winner Roksana Węgiel.

ALEKSEEV – “Сквозь Сон”

ALEKSEEV decided to experiment with his music a bit for his sophomore album. But, the Eurovision 2018 star has now returned to the emotional ballads that brought him initial success. “Сквозь Сон” (Through the Dream) sees him leaving reality and entering the dream world. The video shows ALEKSEEV entering a woman’s dreams in order to confess his love to her. In the MV’s description, the star adds:

“In the clip “Сквозь Сон” I conveyed the feeling of timid love. The moment when it seems that every careless step or breath can break the magical ephemerality. My hero decides to sneak into a girl’s dream to talk about his feelings and, if destined, to get a response in reality. I know that even the most unreal dreams tend to come true. Therefore, dream, think and dreams can come true.”

Alexander Rybak and Sirusho – “Stay”

There’s been a couple of Eurovision collaborations released this week. The first one comes from Alexander Rybak (Norway 2009) and Sirusho (Armenia 2008). These two stars have joined forces on the ballad “Stay”, in which they ask their lovers to remain with them.

Speaking about the song, Sirusho noted: “This year was hard for so many people across the globe
This is a song me and Alexander Rybak made for everyone affected by the unfortunate events of last year. At a certain point we were forced to stay far from the ones we love due to the pandemic and the war. This year taught us to cherish every moment with people that make our lives worth living.”

In reference to working with Sirusho, Alexander added: “I was so happy when Eurovision star Sirusho invited me to sing with her. Not only is she amazingly talented, we also have something in common: Both of us are popular for energetic, dance-like music, but both of us also has a heart for the nostalgic. God bless her, and God bless all of you for your support.”

Douwe Bob – “Was It Just Me”

“Was it my song? Was it my face? Was it the way that I could be replaced? Was it the truth that set you free? Was it just him? Or was it just me? Was it just me?” – these are the questions that Douwe Bob wants answering in his new single. The Dutch singer wants to know why his former lover decided to move on and find a new partner. “Was It Just Me” sees the Eurovision 2016 alum continuing his country-Americana styling, but ultimately this track has a darker undertone to it that goes along with the lyrical content.

Tijana Bogićević and Damir Kedžo – “Hram”

The second Eurovision collab of the week combines two beautiful voices of the Balkans. Croatia’s Eurovision 2020 act Damir Kedžo and Serbia’s Eurovision 2016 singer Tijana Bogićević have joined forces for “Hram” (Temple). The song describes love as the couple’s temple: “Your love is a temple of love / And when the heavens are broken, you are gold and silver / The temple of love”. Their temple for the accompanying music video was Rijeka’s Sugar Refinery Palace, but also the beautiful locations throughout Istria and the Primorje-Gorski Kotar county. The pair had to undergo various cancellations, changes of plans and many Covid tests in between to make the filming happen, but their sacrifices paid off. Speaking about the collaboration in a press release, Tijana noted:

“I fell in love with the song “Hram” at the first listening. I am happy that the duet with Damir happened. We both represented our countries at Eurovision, we agree extremely well vocally, and I think he is a great singer. I look forward to any quality cooperation and I can’t wait to be together so we enjoy the reactions of the audience.”

(Mario)

NAVIBAND – “Снег”

NAVIBAND are having a gentle start to 2021. Their new single is “Снег” (Snow) and it’s a soft piano ballad. Ksienija leads the vocals, with Arciom providing a few background harmonies in the chorus. Belarus’ Eurovision 2017 duo sing about a snowfall that has brought things to a stop, but lets them spend more time together: “Snow, snow put everything on pause / And you look me in the eyes again / Accidentally does not happen”.

JOWST and YNGA – “Stero Love”

Chances are, you’ve probably heard “Stero Love” by Edward Maya and Vika Jigulina at some point in your life. The Romanian hit has now had a bit of Norwegian flair added to it. Eurovision 2017 DJ JOWST has revamped the track alongside singer YNGA. This reworking strengthens the production and gives the song a fuller sound. JOWST noted on Instagram that the duo had wanted to go to the Maldives and dive with turtles for the music video. Unfortunately, due to coronavirus (and funds) that didn’t happen; but, they do have a summery lyric video to go with it instead.

ELENA – “Trandafiri”

Europe is slowly but surely coming out of winter. With spring on the horizon, it seems ELENA is looking forward to the blooming of “Trandafiri” (Roses). Romania’s Eurovision 2009 star has gifted us a song with an uplifting feel to it. It’s not quite a summer tune, but it fits in nicely as a spring mood booster.

Joci Pápai (feat. Urban Verbunk) – “Értünk volt”

Many people fell in love with the elements of Romani culture that Joci Pápai brought to his Eurovision 2017 performance. And the Hungarian star brings a similar sound for his latest song, “Értünk volt” (It was for us). A steady ethno-pop song, Joci tells the person he’s in love with that there’s no point in hiding their feelings and that they should take on life together: “You should trust me / Believe every word / Everything I messed up / I thought it was for us”. The music video features Hungarian dance troupe Urban Verbunk, who combine the elements of water and fire in their performance.

Tijana Dapčević – “Slepa ljubav”

Tijana Dapčević celebrated her 45th birthday on 3 February by releasing the new single “Slepa ljubav” (Blind love). North Macedonia’s Eurovision 2014 representative delivers a Balkan ballad with acoustic guitar and accordion accompaniment. Tijana sings about a relationship she is trying to move on from: “I’m spinning in a circle with you / You are neither my lover nor my friend / Blind love – it’s you / Making the heart ache … Tell me where to find peace / Someone else like you / To love me”. In the music video we see the star watching a series of performers on stage, as she effectively auditions them to find a suitable person to replace her previous partner.

Kasia Moś & Happy Prince – “Częściej”

Kasia Moś has collaborated with fellow Polish singer Happy Prince for the new single “Częściej” (“More Often”). Kasia took to the Eurovision stage in 2017, while Happy Prince competed in Krajowe Eliminacje 2018. The two singers capture a mood with their piano-driven ballad. They sing about two people who have only met once, but instantly know they want to spend more time with each other in the future: “Be with me more and more often / I want to feel that you are for me / Be with me more often / Because I want to feel like I have you”.

Svala – “Þōgnin”

Iceland’s Svala has recently dropped the new single “Þōgnin”. While it might translate to “The Silence”, we’re pleased to report that Svala doesn’t stay silent for the entirety of the track and adds a breathy vocal line over the enchanting production. The Eurovision 2017 singer states that the song is “about all the different feelings and thoughts that come up when you leave a relationship and decide to put yourself first and find happiness within”.

Timebelle – “About Us”

Timebelle are are moving their focus from gods such as Apollo to the ordinary people on the streets around them. Switzerland’s Eurovision 2017 group deliver a slow to mid-tempo pop track in which lead singer Miruna says everyone has the potential to provide beauty to the world. Explaining things further in the audio video’s description, Timebelle note:

““About Us” is about the universality of some feelings like love, acceptance, tolerance, belonging. It is about knowing that beyond all our flaws and deceptions, we still feel that we deserve to be seen, accepted and understood. No matter our frailties, we can still see the beauty in us and all the people around us who are just like a mirror, always reflecting what we want to see or the things we sometimes hide from.”

Aleksander Walmann (feat. Agnes Stock) – “5 Minutter”

Aleksander Walmann has until now only released music in English. However, that’s changed for his latest single, “5 Minutter” (5 Minutes), which sees the Eurovision 2017 star singing in his native Norwegian. Aleksander has collaborated with Agnes Stock for the piano-driven ballad. The two singers tell the story of a break-up, with the Eurovision alum asking for five minutes with his soon-to-be ex-partner before she goes: “It’s been 5 minutes and we’re going our way / I thought 4 years would last, but / 3 words I do not think I will say again / It will never be us 2 / Now it’s 1 – again”.

PAENDA – “Lovers We Knew”

“There’s nothing but a blank space where there was me and you / Now we’re just some lovers we knew”, sings PAENDA in her new single. Austria’s Eurovision 2019 star is dealing with the aftermath of a break-up and and the transition from constantly seeing someone to never at all. Musically, “Lovers We Knew” is an electro-pop tune, but one that has a slightly darker feel to it compared with what PAENDA has released before. Talking further about the back story of the song, the Austrian singer said:

“You know, even though I wrote this song years after a breakup (yup, those words definitely needed a looong time to come together), it still has me every time I listen to it. It’s really odd how people can go from close to totally estranged and someone you thought you knew so well suddenly changes 360 degrees. In hindsight, I’d like to thank this person for making me create a song that reminds me of the fact that I am able to become stronger, even in moments where I’m down on my knees.”

PAENDA has been busy recently. She’s also teamed up with music producers Adam Bü and Moodygee for the single “Come Around”.

Mumiy Troll – “Ecosystem”

“Экосистема” (“Ecosystem”) is a song that featured on Mumiy Troll’s recent album После зла. The Russian group know that our ecosystem is extremely vast, so they have now released a new EP with different international versions of the song. This includes an English indie-folk version alongside the band Lucius, a German hip-hop collaboration with musician K7 and an English-language pop version by Belgian multi-instrumentalist Mustii. The Eurovision 2001 alumni simultaneously dropped the music video for the original Russian version. It features three dancers, and while their actions may all seem individual, they are also all connected to one another and progress things along – much like in our ecosystem.

Jessy Matador – “Dbng”

Jessy Matador has never been afraid to incorporate his Congolese roots into his music. This continues in his new single “Dbng”. France’s Eurovision 2010 star delivers an upbeat afro-pop track with plenty of flair that aims to get the listener dancing along.

Andriamad – Entre nos terres

Andriamad were a fan favourite in this year’s Eurovision France, C’est vous qui décidez selection. While they didn’t do as well as some had hoped, that hasn’t stopped them from releasing their new EP, Entre nos terres (Between our lands). It features eight tracks, including their Eurovision France song “Alléluia”. They also join forces with fellow national final stars 21 Juin Le Duo for “Les souvenirs”.

Frankie Animal & Gram-of-Fun – “Peaches”

Frankie Animal, who we know from Eesti Laul 2018, have joined forces with fellow Estonian indie-pop/rock group, and Eesti Laul 2021 participants, Gram-of-Fun for the new song “Peaches”. The lyrics  draw inspiration from Luca Guadagnino’s film “Call Me By Your Name” and the song alludes to a memorable scene from the film in its title. A beautiful and artistic music video, also inspired by the film, accompanies the track. The video tells the story of two men having to hide their love simply because they’re different. It manages to stay uplifting despite the sad meaning behind it. Much like their Eesti Laul 2018 entry “(Can’t Keep Calling) Misty”, the song gives plenty of room for (pro-LGBT) interpretation. On Spotify, the song was released along with the B-side “Honey”. (Lauren)

Emily Blue – “7 Minutes”

Here’s a little bonus for you. Back in the summer of 2020, Emily Blue confirmed to wiwibloggs that she had submitted an entry to Melodi Grand Prix 2021. Since then, NRK has revealed all the MGP 2021 entries, and some fans were left disappointed that the Chicago-based pop queen didn’t make the cut. But not to worry – Emily’s MGP entry is here! And while it won’t participate in the Eurovision selection, we now know what we would have heard from her. The song is an up-tempo ’80s pop track about experimenting with bisexuality. It’s accompanied by a fittingly sapphic music video, and with the singer being openly pansexual, the tune is a true bi anthem. The song is concise, clocking at 2:30 minutes, and it serves as the lead single off Blue’s upcoming album The Afterlove. The album will be dedicated to Emily Blue’s long-term producer Max Perenchio (co-writer of “7 Minutes”), who recently passed away in a car crash aged 33. With the release of “7 Minutes” on Friday, Blue said Perenchio “now lives in our hearts”. (Lauren)

Which of these new songs is your favourite? Have we missed out on any? Do you have any artists you want to shout out to? Let us know in the comments.

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bebero
bebero
3 years ago

Tijana Bogicevic masterpiece song!

Grft
Grft
3 years ago

Street is saying Andriamad submitted the song “Kabar” to Eurovision France as well…. I’m glad they decided to pick Alleluia

Stian F
Stian F
3 years ago

Emily Blu’s song is by far better than many of the other songs in this years MGP. Should have been in!!!

willchrisiam
willchrisiam
3 years ago

I don’t really care about the song but Sirusho’s voice is always a treat.

Nekki
Nekki
3 years ago

Tijana’s and Damir’s song has such a striking emotion, I’m impressed. Good job.